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Strife/Issue 01
Issue 01 is the first issue of Volume 01 of Strife, It was written by CamTheWoot and was published on June 1st, 2014. ---- Issue 01 Next: Issue 02 ---- Vincent ---- “Come on Daddy, it’s only ‘round the corner!” Alice cheered as she skipped down the empty London street. “Calm down Princess, we’ll get there eventually,” said her father with a smile on his face, casually walking behind her. “It’s a lovely day today, why not enjoy it?” Her father, Professor Vincent Myers, was an average sized man, standing no taller than five foot ten. With muddy brown shoulder length hair that parted in the middle, you could tell from a single look at him that he was meticulously neat, not a single crease nor crumb on his brown tweed waistcoat or his brown trousers. His shiny black loafers didn't carry a spec of mud on them, polished to such a gleam it was like he was wearing two mirrors on his feet. Despite his efforts to of dressing well, he was a noticeably tired and sickly looking man, with old, soulless eyes greener than summer leaves shielded behind a pair of smart round spectacles. Alice backed up and joined her father at his side, walking at a brisk pace, taking in the warm summer weather around them. Over all, she bared little to no resemblance to him, with the exception of her eyes. The Myers Eyes as her family had dubbed them, piercing green at an unimaginable depth. She was a sweet looking girl, a much rounder face, compared to her fathers, an almost constant grin. Long black hair, frilled at the end, like a waterfall of black waves. She was wearing a typical school uniform, as meticulously clean as her fathers suit. “So, I haven’t asked yet. How was school? All of your friends alright? What did you do?” He asked. “It was fine, I don’t like my new teacher though” “Mister Sycamore?” Vincent said with one eyebrow raised, “Why not? he seemed nice enough at parents evening.” “He’s mean to me and he doesn't understand history.” She said looking up at him with a cheeky grin on her face. “Doesn't understand,” he chuckled “Now what did he not understand?” “He said Sir Walter Raleigh put down his coat for the queen but he didn't do that.” “Common misconception, I’m aware. Well done for knowing that though. So what did you say to him?” “I said that he was wrong and then I told him the truth,” she said in a bitter tone, with a slight twitch in her left eye. Oddly venomous for a girl of only ten years. “Then he shouted at me.” She had a look of sadness on her, making her distress very clear to her father. “He shouted at you for telling the truth? You didn't insult him did you?” Vincent said in a stern voice. “I don’t think so.” “Hmm, I’ll have a talk with him then, see if we can get to the bottom of this. You know, you may just be too smart for your own good.” He said with an inconspicuous, mocking smirk on his face. "Yet another Myers trait she had to go and nick from her Granddad. I think I'll burst if another one pops up," he thought to himself. He looked down onto Alice, she seemed to be speaking but no sounds escaped her. An unsettling silence shrouded Vincent, like his world had turned black and white, his vision was blurred and he could feel nothing at his touch. "Oh God not now", he scrambled around his pockets as he slowly swayed from side to side, like a pendulum. Alice turned to him and slowly approached him with a look of concern on her face. He could see her trying to shake him, he could see her trying to speak to him but he could neither feel her nor hear her. "Medication, I need my medication", he reminded himself, still searching his person. Pathetically struggling, almost flailing. Come on Vincent keep your composure, you can't let her see you like this, he looked upon his hand after removing it from his waistcoat pocket he could see an orange, translucent bottle of medication with a white cap atop it. With a disturbingly wide grin on his face and a sigh of relief, he quickly twisted the cap off and tipped the contents into his hand. A few blue and white capsules, he picked them up, placed them into his mouth and swallowed. His senses, slowly returned to him, Alice's cries became more and more audible to him. "DON'T WORRY DADDY, I'M GETTING UNCLE PATRICK!" She screamed with tears streaming down her eyes. She turned around and ran towards the end of the street. For that split second Vincent could have sworn the street shortened and became darker. "Alice," he mumbled in a sickened, gargling voice. "Alice DON'T!" He heard a crackly, final breath emanate from a distance, but looking up he could only see the worst horror he could imagine. Alice, laying face down, cold and motionless in the road. He slowly stumbled towards her body, walking with a clumsy pacing but he never got any closer to her, he was sure he was moving forward yet they remained the same distance apart. Dropping to his knees Vincent sobbed, rubbing his tearing eyes. He remained like that for what seemed like hours, dormant and solitary, colder than before, his breath created a clouded mist, in front of him. A loud cracking startled him, he raised his head to see, Alice standing before him, eyes likes clouded milk. She titled her head to the left, the crunches of her bones echoing across the empty streets. He found himself incapable of standing before his bloodied daughter, he just buried his head in his hands and wept. "Please... just get it over with," he sobbed. "I'm so, SO sorry." "Vincent." She spoke in her voice that wasn't her own. The voice was familiar to him, he knew it as well as his own. He looked up at her, tears missing. Now with a look of confusion, true misunderstanding. He knelt down in front of her and looked into her blank eyes. "What did you just say?" "Vincent" ---- That's when he woke up, sitting in his favorite chair. A copy of 'A Confederacy of Dunces' half open on his dark oak desk. He was alone in an old, dark prison cell, it looked like it was from the middle ages, with large decayed stone bricks lining the floor, ceiling and the walls. A small barred window in the corner was the only source of light in the cell, with the exception of the candles, dotted around the place. The place had been domesticated, with a large red carpet placed in the middle on the room, bookshelves lined the walls, only stopping at the door, which was being knocked on. "Vincent... you alive?" a voice called from the other side, Vincent knew the voice sounded familiar. It was the same one he heard in his dream. "For Christ's sake," he mumbled "Come in Patrick!" A man opened the door, taller than Vincent standing at about six feet. He was well dressed and clean shaven, with sort black hair combed to one side, deep green eyes, he was a Myers alright. Wearing an ironed white shirt tucked into blue jeans, with a navy cardigan over the top. Vincent was different now, older, he somehow looked even more decrepit than before. He was no longer neat, wearing a crumpled beige shirt with a green jacket over the top and black jeans. No longer then clean shaven, now with stubble with uncut hairs poking out. "Vincent, did I wake you up?" Said Patrick, a grin on his face. "Yes, yes you did," he sighed "W-what time is it?" "Oh like I have a clue," he said walking over to Vincent desk, taking off his cardigan and slinging it onto a coat hanger. "I haven't seen a working clock in about six months." "Well that's helpful." Patrick pulled out the chair from the other side of the desk. "Mind if I-?" He said pointing at it. "Yeah sure why not. You're going to anyway." "So, you'll be glad to know I disturbed your... important work for a reason." He said sitting down on the old wooden chair. "Oh really now? And what reason might that be?" "I have some bad news. Lawrence has gone missing, he went out on a supply run a couple of days ago and his line's gone dead. Rowena's pretty broken up about it." "I'm sure she is. Who's going to cause trouble on her behalf now?!" "You I imagine... I get the impression that she wants you to go and have a look for him." "Me?!" Vincent laughed "And why would I do that?" "Brotherly love?" Patrick shrugged. "I imagine Rowena has some reward or another up her sleeve for you." Vincent started laughing in the strangest of ways, almost a cackle. "There's not much she can offer me!" he gasped for air after calming down. "Well... she may be inclined to give up Harry's office? Don't quote me on that though. Just know how grateful she will be to know you're going after Lawrence." "Now that I can get behind. It's about fucking time she let go of it, how long has Harry been dead now... three months? She can't keep clinging to him." "Hmm, well I'll keep my opinions on the matter to myself there. She does want to talk to you though. Anyway, I have something I need to talk to you about here." "Alright shoot." Vincent said, leaning back in his dark green office chair, placing is feet on the table. "I was speaking with Wayne and Duncan earlier today, I was checking our supply's, you know." "Being Rowena's lapdog? Sure. Go on." "Anyway, I was checking our medication stocks and I found something that hadn't been logged. Your medication, look I know you have trouble with it, an ire that is completely justified Im sure. It's just... please take it man. It's eating me up seeing you like this." Vincent leaned forward, with a look on him unfamiliar to Patrick. His eyes shone through the shadow created by his hair over his face. He crossed his arms, creating a much more serious demeanor than he had previously been showing his younger brother. "No I will not take them, nor do I plan to take them." "Please, when was the last time you took them?" "My answer is the same as the last time you asked me... and the time before that. You know very well when I last took them." "Oh man, that was two years ago! Vincent I am so sorry about what happened to Alice but that wasn't your fault! You can't mess yourself up over it! Alice would have died whether you to-" Patrick was stopped mid sentence, Vincent reached over his desk, grabbed his collar and pulled Patrick towards him. With a look of rage in his eyes. "I will NOT! Do you any idea what they did to me?! What they will do to me?! They took her from me! I WILL NOT LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN!" He rasped with a line of sweat running down his cheek. He presented a strange look, a grin. A sadistic smile as he recalled the worst moment of his life. "I'm beginning to get an idea," Patrick gasped. Vincent finally let him go, relaxing back into his chair, still smiling away. Patrick however fell back into his, rubbing his swollen neck, he showed no fear, only concern for his older brother. "Sorry for bringing it up," he mumbled. "Don't worry Pat, I forgive you. I would appreciate you not mentioning her again." "Of course," he said, finally feeling safe enough to release his hand from his neck. "Good, now... get out." "Vincent please." "I said get out and tell our big sister I said 'Hi'. I'll be up to visit her a little later." "Well... alright then. Rook will be down to collect you a little later." "Thanks." Patrick got up and walked over to the door, he twisted the handle and opened it. He took one final glance at Vincent, leaning back in his chair, a big grin drawn across his face. "Bye bye Pat!" He jived, saluting him at the same time. "I'm sorry to disturb you." Patrick left through the door and closed it behind him. "Finally, I thought he'd never leave" Vincent thought to himself. He picked up his book and starred at the pages, they all seemed empty to him, only a way to pass the time. The book fell from his hands onto the floor upon him hearing a loud 'CLICK' from the corner of the room. He looked as a feeling of warmth ran through him, to see his daughter standing happily there. Akin to how she looked in his dream, covered in blood, broken. A ghost it would seem, though only one he could see, however a hallucination would be more accurate to what he was experiencing. "Good morning Alice," he said in a much softer voice. "I'm sorry you had to see that. Uncle Patrick wanted to take you away from me... and we can't be having that now can we? To be continued... ---- Characters ---- Vincent Myers Patrick Myers Alice Myers (Apparition) Lawrence Myers (Mentioned) Rowena Myers (Mentioned) Harry Martin (Mentioned) ---- Deaths Alice Myers (Confirmed fate) Harry Martin (Confirmed fate) ---- Trivia First appearance of Vincent Myers First appearance of Patrick Myers First appearance of Alice Myers (Apparition) First mention of Lawrence Myers. First mention of Rowena Myers. First mention of Harry Martin This issue is a re-write of Strife Issue 01. Category:Issues Category:Strife Issues Category:Strife Category:Pestilence Category:CamTheWoot